1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to impact forging, and more particularly to an apparatus for impact forging deformed steel rails used in railways to restore their original profile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Steel rails used in railways degrade as they are exposed to large compressive forces imparted by the wheels of the railroad trains they support. Over time, the contact between the wheel of the railroad vehicle and the crown of the railroad track causes a lateral flange to develop along the inboard edge. The steel in the rail is extruded from the crown surface into a clearance gap between the inboard edge of the rail and the adjacent surfaces of the car wheels.
Typically, after the inboard edge of the rail has been deformed to the maximum extent tolerable, the rails on either side of the track are switched so that the outboard portion of the right rail becomes the inboard portion of the left rail. After a time, the newly exposed edge of the rail also becomes deformed beyond the acceptable level and it becomes necessary to reform or replace the individual rails.
Heretofore, reforming has been accomplished by cutting or grinding off the flange to impart the proper profile on the rail. While such reforming is workable, it suffers from several disadvantages in that it is expensive, time-consuming and wasteful of the steel in the rail. Moreover, the procedure may be repeated only a limited number of times before so much material has been lost that the rail becomes structurally inadequate and must be replaced.